by Gayla Twist
“Would they lock you in a coffin?” I asked.
Jessie shook his head, still not meeting my gaze. “I’m sure it won’t come to that. They’re not even asking to see you, so how bad could it be?”
“Oh, God,” I said, tears immediately filling my eyes. I knew he had to be shielding me in some way. The Bishops had threatened him with a hundred years in a coffin when he’d killed a vampire named Viktor who was terrorizing me. I couldn’t bear the thought of being without Jessie for just one day, let alone a hundred years. “But don’t they know that Daniel was trying to kill me? And he killed Colette just to be spiteful. Vampire or not, he was a horrible human being.”
Jessie’s pain became contorted with grief. “I know,” he said in a jagged whisper.
“Oh,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry. I…” I felt such a revulsion whenever I thought of Daniel that it was hard for me to view him from anyone else’s perspective. “He was your brother, I know. You must have loved him and…” I couldn’t think of what else to say.
“He killed the girl I loved, causing me the most excruciating pain I could ever imagine,” Jessie supplied. “And then, when I finally found you again… When I finally thought I had a chance at happiness, he tried to kill you a second time. I loved him; he was my brother, and yet I also hate him with every fiber of my being.” He shook his head several times. “I miss him; I mourn the loss of him, and yet I’m glad he’s dead.”
“I’m glad someone can be,” a voice said, sounding ragged and angry. We both snapped our heads around to see that Alice had re-entered the room.
“Mother,” Jessie exclaimed immediately dropping his arms from our embrace. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean…”
“I know what you meant,” she said, tersely, avoiding my eyes and only speaking to Jessie. “And I know that Daniel had his faults. But that doesn’t stop a mother from loving her child.” She took a large, pain-racked breath. “I know you love her, but I would trade Colette in an instant to have my boy back again.”
Her words stung me to the core. My maker hated me and all I wanted to do was please her.
“Well I wouldn’t,” Jessie said, wrapping his arms back around me as if to protect me from his mother’s words. “And Daniel tried to kill me too, you know. So either way you would have lost a son.”
Alice said nothing for several moments, but the torment of her emotions was obvious on her face. “Why have you heard from Budapest?” she finally asked, changing the topic completely. “Will there be another inquest?”
Jessie glanced at the letter again. “I don’t think there will be. They’re asking me to appear.”
“Will she be going with you?” Alice asked, nodding her head in my direction, but still not looking at me.
“No,” Jessie said.
“Yes,” I said, simultaneously.
“Aurora will not be coming with me,” Jessie said in a firm voice.
“Yes, I will,” I told him. I could also be firm. “Do you seriously believe I’m going to just stay here while you go without me?”
“Yes,” Jessie said.
“No,” his mother insisted. She spared me a look and said, “I know that is something you would never do. Not after everything...” Her voice trailed away.
“Jessie,” I said, taking his hand. “I know you think that somehow leaving me here will keep me safe, but you have to know by now that I would never put up with it. I’d find a way to follow you,” I informed him. “You know I would.”
Jessie pinched his full lips together into a tight line. I could tell he desperately wanted to dig in his heels.
“I’m surprised the Bishops didn’t request to see both of you,” Alice said. And then she cocked her head to one side, giving her son a suspicious look. “Or did they?” There was something about Jessie’s body language that let her know that she had uncovered the truth. “May I see the letter?” she asked, extending her hand in a manner that made it perfectly clear that she would brook no excuses.
Reluctantly, Jessie handed over the letter. Alice gave it a perfunctory glance. “They specifically request the presence of Miss Keys and yourself.”
My mouth popped open a little with disbelief. Jessie had lied to me.
Chapter 4
I needed to get out of the castle. Suddenly the massive structure felt claustrophobic. “Where are you going?” Jessie asked as I pulled away from him and started walking determinedly toward the door.
“Out,” I informed him. “I need some air.”
Alice stepped out of my way as I stormed past.
“But…” Jessie trailed after me. “You shouldn’t go out by yourself.”
“Why not?” I asked, although my question was mostly rhetorical. “I’ve been outside by myself a million times.”
“Yes, but not as a vampire,” he insisted, trying to get a hold of my hand.
I swung around to glare at him, but Alice interceded, placing a restraining hand on her son’s arm. “Let her go,” she said.
“No,” Jessie insisted. “She’s not ready. She might…”
“Jessie,” Alice said, looking directly into his eyes. “You can’t always be there to catch her if she falls.”
He was about to voice another protest, but I wasn’t going to stand around and wait to hear it. If he thought he could just run off to Budapest and have himself locked in a coffin for a century just for protecting me, then he didn’t know me at all. I was not the kind of female who was willing to sit home out of harm’s way. I just couldn’t believe he’d lied to me.
I marched down the castle grand staircase and headed straight out the front door. I caught a glimpse of Viggo out of the corner of my eye and he half looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I was in no mood to listen.
The Vanderlind Castle was actually a medieval castle that had been moved from Hungary to small-town Ohio sometime in the 1930s. It was very traditional with barely any windows and a giant, wooden front door. At some point the family had modified the structure to have a smaller door installed in the middle of the larger one and that was what I used to go storming outside.
Being outside by myself caused me to pull up short. The cold air filled my nostrils and I felt like I could smell the location of every mortal on the Vanderlind grounds. The guard who sat in a little booth at the front gate — Just in case anyone was foolish enough to try to get inside the castle — was actually speaking to someone in a car. The vehicle look familiar and I moved a few steps to one side to get a better look.
“There she is, right there,” a female voice said, emanating out of the vehicle.
I think I smelled her even before I heard her voice, but I knew in an instant that my best friend, Blossom, had come to pay me a visit. It was kind of late for a teenage mortal to be out driving around, especially on a school night, but I knew immediately what had happened. My mother had called Blossom’s mother about having me stay with them for a couple of months. Mrs. Coster had spoken with her daughter and Blossom had been so excited about us living together that she’d hopped in her mother’s car and driven right over. That and she also probably wanted another excuse for getting inside the castle.
“Aurora! Hey, Aurora!” she called, scrambling out of the car.
“Young lady, the Vanderlinds are not expecting visitors,” the guard informed her.
“Aurora, call off the goons,” Blossom said as the security guard tried to flush her back into the car like she was an irritable swan and he was afraid of getting pecked. “I’m her best friend,” Blossom told the guy, gesturing in my direction. “I don’t need to wait for an invitation.”
“Let her in,” I told the guard while hurrying down the steps. “She’s my friend. She’s fine.”
The security guard eyed me warily. I wasn’t quite sure how much the mortal security staff knew about who they were protecting in the castle and why. Did he know I was a creature of the night? Did it bother him? Or didn’t he care, just as long as his paychecks kept clearing?<
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“Aurora,” Blossom exclaimed, hurrying up to me. “Your hair looks awesome, but you are definitely too pale.” She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big hug. Almost against my will I found myself inhaling deeply, the scent of her causing my stomach to growl. “Should you even be out here?” she asked. “I heard you had mono and you’re not even wearing a jacket.”
“I just stepped out for a minute,” I told her through clenched teeth. At that moment there was nothing I wanted more in the world than to plunge my fangs into her rosy flesh.
“Well, let’s just get you back inside.” She tried to pull away from me, so that we could both head into the castle. But I found I couldn’t release her from my embrace. If anything, I clung to more tightly. “Hey, let go,” Blossom said as she strained a little against my grip. “I missed you too, but stop being such a lez.”
Tears sprang to my eyes because I knew I wasn’t going to let go. I couldn’t let go. I was going to drink from her. I was going to drain my best friend. My brain was yelling at me to stop. I loved Blossom like a sister. But my body wasn’t listening. “I’m sorry,” I whispered as the tears started rolling down my face.
“What?” Some instinct deep within Blossom realized that I wasn’t horsing around. I could see real fear creeping into her expression.
“I’m so sorry,” I gasped.
“Aurora,” Jessie said, appearing as if from out of nowhere. He firmly removed Blossom from my grasp and wrapped a quilt tightly around my shoulders, effectively pinning my arms to my sides. “The doctor said a breath of fresh air would be good for you, but I don’t think she meant for you to stand out here all night.”
“You’re right,” I said, grateful that he’d followed me, even though I was still mad at him. “I just meant to come out for a minute.”
“Well, you’ve had your minute,” he said in the strict tone of a parent dealing with a recalcitrant child. “Hello Blossom,” he said, abruptly turning his head to acknowledge my friend. “It’s nice to see you, but isn’t it kind of late to be dropping by?”
“I know,” Blossom said with a guilty shrug. “But I just found out Aurora’s going to be staying at my house until graduation and I couldn’t wait to talk about it.” My cell phone had recently been lost and nobody who wasn’t a vampire had the castle’s number.
The front door opened and Viggo appeared carrying a mug on a silver tray. “Miss Aurora, it is time for your medication,” he said in his booming, somber voice.
“Wow,” Blossom said, unable to suppress her surprise at Viggo’s towering physique.
I grabbed the mug and pressed it to my lips, gulping down the contents. Even with my stomach no longer growling, my desire to suck the blood from Blossom was still strong and it was only Jessie’s unyielding presence and Viggo’s forethought that was preventing me.
Blossom looked at me and then her expression changed to one of revulsion. “What the hell kind of medicine are they giving you?” she asked, reaching out and wiping at the corner of my mouth. She pulled back a finger wet with blood. “What the hell is this?” She look a tentative sniff.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Jessie said, quickly pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbing her finger clean.
“But seriously, that looked like…” Blossom began to stammer.
Jessie fixed her with his eyes. “It’s just a cherry flavored cough syrup. Nothing to worry about,” he told her, never letting his gaze leave her face. “Aurora is fine, but she’s still recovering, so she’s going to need peace and quiet for several weeks before she can even think about leaving the castle. Staying here is what’s best for her right now. Do you understand?”
Blossom nodded, her pupils as big as saucers. “I just want Aurora to be alright,” she said. “She’s my best friend.”
“I know she is,” Jessie assured her. “And I know you want what’s best for her. So now you’re going to drive home. You feel happy and secure that Aurora is recovering and that she’s definitely in good hands.”
After blinking several times, Blossom said, “Okay, I guess I’d better get going now. Good night, Aurora. Feel better.”
“Good night,” I told her. “Thanks for coming by.”
Blossom stopped and turned on the walkway as she was halfway to the gate. “What about your homework? Should I bring it to you?”
“Oh.” That was a good question. I didn’t want to spend eternity without even a high school education, but trying to focus on biology and English literature at the moment just sounded too ridiculous.
“That’s very kind of you, Blossom,” Jessie said. “But my mother’s already arranged with the school to have Aurora’s work sent over.”
“Okay.” Blossom nodded several times. She was just standing on the walk, swaying slightly like those videos of a sleepwalker. “Okay,” she said again. “Good night.”
We watched as my best friend headed back to her car. She seemed so out of it that it made me nervous. “Is she going to be okay to drive?” I asked.
“She should be,” was Jessie’s reply. “My direct influence will wear off in a few moments, but she’ll still have the memory that you’ll be fine, as long as you get some rest.”
Viggo had disappeared back into the castle and the security staff returned their attentions to patrolling the grounds. “Thank you for saving her,” I said in a quiet voice.
Jessie gave a slight nod. “I knew you wouldn’t be happy if you ended up hurting Blossom.”
“I’m still mad at you, you know.” He was gorgeous, but still a liar with his pants on fire.
Jessie gave another small nod. “I know. I just didn’t want you to go with me to Budapest.”
I glared at him. “Why not?”
Looking down, Jessie ran his hand through his hair several times. “Because things are bad, Aurora. The Bishops barely ruled in our favor after I staked Viktor. And now to have two more vampires dead…” He lifted his hands and then let them drop by his side in a show of helplessness. “I thought that if they ruled against me, then maybe I could warn you and then you’d have time to flee.”
“Flee where?” I asked, feeling panic rising in my breast. “Flee without you? Just leave you and save myself? Does that sound like something I would do?”
“No,” Jessie admitted, shaking his head.
“So you thought you’d try and trick me.” I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. “You thought you’d lie to me and then maybe have Viggo kidnap me or something.”
“No,” Jessie said again, rather adamantly. “I would have had Mother tell you the truth at some point.”
“But you admit that you lied to me and you planned to try to leave me behind, even if that made things worse for you. You admit that you intended to trick me. You wanted to leave me behind.”
If a vampire could grow red in the face, then that’s what Jessie did. “I knew I had to leave you behind,” he said through clenched teeth.
“No you didn’t,” I said, folding my arms.
“I did,” Jessie insisted. “I do.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I asked, “Why would you possibly do such a thing? Especially when you know that leaving me puts you in more danger?”
Jessie glared at me with an expression that I couldn’t recognize. I thought for a moment that he was going to explode and start shouting at me. But instead he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper, “I have to leave you here because I couldn’t stand losing you again.” He drew in a ragged breath and looked away from me, unable to meet my eye. “I don’t know what the Bishops are going to do, but you can bet it’s nothing good. There’s a chance that they might…” he waved a hand helplessly in my direction. “There’s a chance they might stake you.”
I didn’t know if vampires could throw up or not, but I felt bile rising in my throat.
“And just the thought of it.” Jessie shook his head back and forth, blinking rapidly. “Just the thought of anyone hurting you makes me want to set fire to the w
orld.”
“Oh, darling,” I said, weaving my arms through his and pulling him to me. “That’s not going to happen. We won’t let it happen. We’ll explain to the Bishops that your brother was intentionally murdering the women you loved to torment you. We’ll explain that he was going to kill you.”
“There’s also my grandfather,” Jessie said in a low voice. “When you staked him, you were still mortal.”
“But he was a complete nutcase,” I insisted. “He was kidnapping teenagers and using them as juice boxes. He was completely insane.” There couldn’t be a person on the planet, living or undead, who didn’t think the senior Vanderlind needed a sharp stake through the heart.
“I don’t know how the Bishops will view it,” Jessie explained. “There were many circles where my grandfather was greatly respected.”
“Then those people need to have it explained to them that your grandfather was a total psycho. Aren’t there laws against snatching up mortals whenever hunger strikes?”
“There are, but…”
“But what?” I wanted to know.
“But that would be something for the vampire community to address; not a mortal.”
I tried to puzzle out his meaning. “So you’re saying that if I’d staked him after being turned, then that would be better?”
Jessie sighed. “Exactly.”
“But I’m a vampire now,” I pointed out. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
“No.” Jessie shook his head. “I don’t know how the Bishops are going to view all of this. And I can’t lose you again. I just can’t.”
“You won’t.” I told him.
“I know. That’s why I need you to stay here.”
I shook my head. “That’ll never happen. You know I won’t let that happen.”
Jessie gave me a penetrating look and slowly nodded his head. “I guess I know that about you. You’d probably end up meeting the sun just trying to follow me.”
“Probably,” I said with a shrug.
Jessie let out a long sigh, resting his head on my shoulder for several seconds. When he looked up again, he said, “I’ll take you with me, but on one condition.”